‘Venom’ Review

Venom is not the typical superhero movie we’re used to from Marvel. Then again, it was never advertised as one. The movie’s official Twitter prominently featured the slogan, “The world has enough superheroes.” Although we commonly know Venom as being a famous Spiderman villain, the film actually depicts him more as an anti-hero. With Tom Hardy playing Venom’s counterpart, Eddie Brock, the film was a nice change from the extreme storyline of superheroes.

Every film has its flaws and Venom certainly had some, but they were nothing that completely turned you off. The film’s beginning seemed a little unnecessary and a rushed sequence to try and get the ball rolling. One tiff that felt a tad cringe-worthy was the first transition song. The song was overly upbeat and abrupt, which clashed with the overall vibe the scene created when we see Eddie for the first time.

When it comes to the characters of Venom and Eddie, they both compliment each other impeccably. Venom has a demeanor that is abrupt, no holds barred and he is quite the comic. He does, however, manage to make you feel intimidated by him, not just because of his monstrous appearance, but because of his general “get out of my way” attitude.

Eddie, on the other hand, has a demeanor that comes off as brooding and as someone who looks tough, but is quite the sweetheart. He comes off as being a little insecure or trepidatious. Because of this, Venom and Eddie become this physical representation of yin and yang. Both inhibit characteristics opposite of one another, but they seemingly complement each other because of the things they each lack. By the end of the film, a bond is created that seems so natural to the story and the audience.

The character of Venom also has this way of speaking that is refreshing and makes him enjoyable. He is snarky, quick-witted, makes hilarious jokes and can be a bit of a jerk.

If we were to speak of the technicality of the film in terms of fight scenes and visuals, they are up to par and more so. The scenes between Venom and Eddie are smooth and make your eyes bulge with the immensity of power that Venom has. The fight scenes are brutal, but incredible. What is nice about the film is its realistic portrayal of fight scenes between body impacts, people getting sliced and Venom eating people.

The film, despite it being not about our known superhero, has a heroism aspect, hence the “anti-hero” slogan. At first, Venom has an evil plan in place but becomes persuaded by what he sees in Eddie to go against the very mission he came for. He has a change of heart and decides not to kill everyone he comes across.

Overall, the film is an eight out of ten. It’s worth the watch and Sony did a good job in what is meant to kick off their own cinematic Marvel Universe. The post credit scene will arise some future storyline, so I would stay to watch.